Off Balance
by elenasempathy
Summary: I'm Elena, gymnastics is everything to me and boys are definitely out of the question...Until I met Damon Salvatore who turned my world upside down. DELENA. AH.
1. Chapter 1

_I drive fast, wind in my hair_

_I push you to the limits 'cause I just don't care_

_I've got a burning desire for you, baby_

_I've got a burning desire_

* * *

I wipe the sweat off my forehead and put all my things into my bag. I worked hard today. I feel like my body is going to give out beneath me. I quickly pull my water bottle from my bag and chug it like crazy, feeling like I will never get hydrated again.

I gasp as I finish drinking and put my bottle back in my bag, leaving the gym. I guess you could call me a gymnast. I mean I am but it is so much more than that.

It is my life.

I really don't know any different and I don't want to know any different. I am so happy I found something I love to do at such a young age and kept with it. There are agonizing days like today where I feel like I am going to die but then…there are the good days where I learn a new skill or go to international and elite competitions and show off my hard work. And that is what makes the bad days just a little bit better.

I open my car door, throw my bag into the passenger seat before collapsing into my seat. I feel exhausted and drained and just…tired. I really want to go home and just sleep.

Like on all bad days I try to close my eyes and think about what is good. There are so many things that are good in my life, I feel a bit spoiled.

My parents are pretty well off so I have never had to worry about money or buying gymnastics gear or anything. My parents are pretty supportive and amazing so I am pretty lucky. But most importantly I am where I have always wanted to be in my gymnastics career. A year ago I made the national team to represent my country at any international meet and that is huge. It's been my biggest goal since I was a kid but now I have to think about an even bigger goal that has always been in the back of my mind and it's also one that I don't try to think about a lot because I thought I would never get to there.

The Olympics.

Honestly I thought I would just stay in the same level forever but I don't know what happened…Well I do but I don't like thinking about it a lot. Instead I think back to Nationals last year and Worlds and how I represented my country and hit my routines. That is what I need to focus on, staying positive and loving what I do.

I smile, taking a deep breath before clicking my seatbelt in and heading home. I have to have a strict routine for everything to go smoothly, so that I get enough sleep because if I get slightly off that schedule I am a mess for about a week.

But no matter the struggles or sacrifices I go through with this sport it is all fine with me. I have been doing this since I was 10 months old with mommy and me classes and I am not turning back for anyone or anything. I am in too deep.

I am about halfway home when my car starts acting weird and slowing down. I frown looking at all the lights on my dashboard and I see nothing wrong?

"Damn it." I curse, pulling over to the shoulder of the road and turning off the engine. I hop out of my car and decide to check my tires because that is the most common car trouble right? Crap. I know nothing about cars who am I kidding.

Walking to the second tire and I notice it is completely flat. I groan and kick it even though that helps nothing. I sigh and go back into the car to look for my phone but it is nowhere to be found….What? I think back to where I last had it and…it's at the gym.

I hit my head against the seat rest and sigh.

I decide to get out of the car and just wait for someone to help me. Or lend me there phone because once again I left my phone at the gym. I don't know why I keep forgetting it, probably because I only use it to text my coach or parents.

I am now leaning against my car, waiting for someone to come by. This is definitely not how I wanted to spend my time when I got out of the gym from working out for 8 hours. I start to feel feeling defeated when out of nowhere I see headlight slowly making its way down the road. Squealing I start waving my arms to get them to notice me, it is hard because it is so dark out already but it is worth a shot.

Just when I thought the person was going to keep going, the car pulls to the side of the road right behind my car. I fist bump a little; happy I am one step closer to getting home. I take a second look at the car and admire it. There is something about it that I love. It has character and age, I always wanted a car like this but of course my parents thought of the safety side of things, wanting as many airbags and updates. A man gets out of his car but it is hard to see his face with it being so dark.

"Hey." The stranger greets.

"Hey…." I walk closer to him before gesturing to my car. "My tire is flat and…I kinda left my phone at the gym." I bite my lip and look back up at him.

Finally he is close enough and the moonlight is glistening over his face perfectly. His jaw is so hard and beautifully tight as he stares down at me. He has messy ink black hair and…incredible dazzling cerulean eyes that make me draw in a quick breath.

What am I doing right now?

My life has solely been gymnastics. I mean I have had boys ask me out but I really don't have the time. I am in the gym the entire day of the week besides Sunday because that is the one day I spend with my parents. But when I do something I don't like to half ass it, I want to give it my all. And right now gymnastics is everything to me and it just isn't fair to throw a boy into the mix both for me and him.

"Oh." He frowns taking his eyes off me and onto the tire. "Do you have a spare?" His bright eyes flash back to me.

I gulp, moving my eyes away from his intense stare because I need to focus. "Uhm…I think so?" I walk around to the trunk and open the doors before lifting the mat where the tire should be under. "Yeah…here it is." I turn around to show it to him but his face is inches from mine. I feel the intensity and warmth from our bodies swirl between us. The proximity is almost too much for me but somehow I can't find it in me to move. My traitorous eyes make their way down to his full lips, I feel my throat constrict at the beauty of his face and the electricity flowing through us before I come back to earth and quickly cough, breaking the trance and move away. "So do you know how to change a tire? If not I just need to call my parents…" I trail off.

"No I can do it." He smirks in a way that should be evil but for some reason makes my heart skip a beat.

"Okay." I say out of breath. "Thank you so much."

"So what is your name?" He asks while working on the tire.

"Elena." I bite my lip and look down trying to not get swept up by him. "You?" I ask politely.

"Damon."

"So Damon…" I cross my ankles. "What do you do?"

"Mechanic." He answers blandly while wiggling something loose in the tire rim. "You?"

I laugh at the fact that he is a mechanic. Now I feel stupid for asking him if he knows how to fix a stupid tire. Nice one Elena.

"Gymnast." I reply back while watching him.

He stops what he is doing and looks at me. "Oooh." He nods. "Nice." He smirks again before returning to my car.

I scoff and look out into the dark night. "Every man's reaction, I swear."

"I mean…It is a good perk in certain….situations." He chuckles, his back still to me.

God. I have never met a man so cocky and certain before. I don't know whether to be annoyed or turned on.

Instead we sit in silence as he changes the tire. I feel so uncomfortable around boys not knowing what to do or if they are even into me or not, so usually I just ignore them but he is making it hard. I just really can't afford a relationship right now. It is just another sacrifice I have to do.

Though as I am watching him wiggle things tight and loose I see the muscles in his arm as flex beneath his shirt. Oh god. I decide to look away out into the night. My parents are probably wondering why I am not home yet. I just turned 18 but I still live with them, after what happened they can get worried pretty fast…

"Okay." He declares and wipes his hands on his jeans and stands up. "Spare tire is on. Where do you want me to put the old one?"

I clear my throat nervously before I find my words. "Oh uhm the trunk is fine" I smile kindly as he picks the tire up and hauls it into the trunk. "Thank you so much." I say genuinely.

He turns around to face me with the biggest smirk on his face as he crosses his arms and stares at me. "Mhmm, how will you repay me?"

"Oh…" I jump and pull my wallet out of my jacket. "How about…." But he cuts me off.

"I don't want your money." He scoffs.

"Then…?" I trail off confused.

"I am pretty hungry…" He purses his lips and looks at the night sky.

Who is this guy?

Honestly, how can I trust this guy? I just met him. And now he wants to have dinner with me? Either I am incredibly bad at noticing a guy hitting on me or he is some sort of serial killer.

I cross my arms as well taking him in. "I just met you, how do I not know you will not kidnap me or something?" I raise my eyebrow.

He shakes his head and laughs. "Do I look like someone who would do that?" he gestures down his perfectly sculpted body and probably designer clothing. "I am pretty sure I dress way better for that."

"You never know." I raise my chin up in defiance.

He sighs before digging in his pockets and I immediately tense. What if he has a gun? Or a knife? But instead he pulls out his phone and hands it to me.

I look at him like he is crazy. "What?"

He smiles and chuckles. "Put your number in."

"You want my number?" I repeat slowly.

"Yeah?"

I just really want to go home at this point so I will do anything to get away from this beautiful stranger I am trying to ignore. I take his phone into my hands and sigh as I punch in my old expired number. I don't even know if it works but I don't care.

"There." I hand it back to him with a fake smile.

"Mhm, thank you….Elena." My name rolls off his tongue and for a moment we both just stare at each other. His eyes hold so much mystery that I want to find out but I can hear my mind in the background telling me I should run.

I cough and break our trance. "Well, thanks anyway for the help."

He suddenly reaches for my hand and brings it up to his lips, kissing it. I widen my eyes at his actions because never have I expected this. He just keeps surprising me.

"Goodbye Elena…for now." He grins before releasing me hand and turning around to get in his car.

I stand there for a moment confused at what just happened before shaking my head and getting into my car as well.

For both our sake, I hope that is the last time I see Damon.

* * *

Okay I wrote most of this months ago but wanted to at least get two chapters written and plan a few things out before I fully posted it.

Super nervous!

So to continue and let me know please hit the **review **button.

Very anxious because it is so different. Had this idea for awhile because I am a HUGE fan of gymnastics and know the names and what it takes so i knew i could do this. I hope to update soon.

**Aaaah let me know what you think! **

_Also Unusual You readers. I am writing the sequel ;) Just needed a break but warning it is feels central. xo._


	2. Chapter 2

"Don't forget to tell Alaric to come to the BBQ this weekend." My mom smiles as she throws another orange slice in her mouth. "And to bring Jenna and the kids."

I nod mindlessly, eating my cereal. "I will tell him."

"Do you want me to drive you today?"

"No I got it." I shake my head, standing up, putting my bowl into the sink and rinsing it. "I might hang out with Caroline and Rebekah later tonight depending on how today goes."

She smiles. "That sounds good."

Some days I wish I could just hang out here all day, instead I get up every day at six in the morning, sometimes even earlier depending how much I need to do. Luckily I graduated high school when I was 16 so I could focus more on gymnastics. I really don't know how I did it, I am just glad I did. I guess at any point I could move out since I am 18 years old but then I would really never see my parents. Plus they always tell me how much they love me being here. And after what happened when I was younger they are definitely more protective and watchful of everything I do.

I pick up my big gym bag effortlessly and give my mom a kiss on the cheek. "Love you. See you later tonight."

"Okay, text me if you go out."

I nod. "Will do."

I throw my gym back into the passenger seat and head towards the gym. Luckily the day after my car got a flat tire it was my day off from the gym so I quickly brought it into the shop and got four new tires because my parents wanted to be safe.

I gave Damon that night a false phone number which I am sure by now he's figured it out, but I'm not really bothered. My mindset right now is my career and I am trying to save us both the eventual heartbreak of me not having enough time. Plus he really didn't seem like my type. I mean the guy was smoking hot but he is so cocky and arrogant I don't know if I could stand that for long.

I pull into the parking lot of my gym and smile. This is my real home and my real relationship. I have been going here my whole life really, made so many friends and accomplished so much here. I sigh, grabbing my gym bag and heading in to another day.

"Hey Elena, how is it going today." My coach greets and walks with me to the lockers.

I smile. "I feel a lot more pumped today than I did yesterday."

Alaric smiles. "Good because I have a hell of a workout for you today."

"Yay." I smile sarcastically, he laughs and pats my shoulder before letting me get put my things into my locker and get changed.

I don't remember when I met Alaric because I was so young. But he has always been in my life as a coach and a family friend. I tell him anything that is going on with me. We are super close; I mean we have to be because we spend more time with each other than we do with our families.

I take my shoes and socks off, putting them in my locker before stripping down to my leotard. I quickly put my hair up in a quick bun and shove everything into my tiny locker and heading in for another day of workouts. You would think I spend most of my time practicing my routines and perfecting them but actually I spend most of my time maintaining my muscle and endurance so I _can _do my routines.

I always felt self-conscious of my body growing up because yeah I was never overweight or chubby but I have always had very defining muscles. I remember in elementary school kids picking on me for my weird arms and I almost quit a few times just so I could fit in but I am glad I didn't. I know now that not everyone are alike and that gymnastics is what makes me, me. And if people have a problem with it then they aren't my friends.

Ric helped a lot with that too. I came into the gym one day crying and it took a while for him to coax it out of me but finally I admitted to him that people in my class were picking on me for how my body was different but he sat me down and had a long talk with me, telling me how their opinion really don't matter and if I really wanted to I could quit. But he really helped my little 10 year old self that day and he knows it.

There are many sacrifices that come with the sport and I learned a lot more of them as I advanced into the sport. When kids brought cupcakes or snacks to class or when I went to birthday parties I could never have cake or donuts or really anything fun like that. I mean I could sneak one bite in here and there but I have always had to stay away from those types of things. I really can't remember what a donut or cupcake even taste like. Putting gymnastics first is just something I am used to.

I let out a deep breath before joining everyone out into the gym to start my day. Alaric has me work on bars more than anything today knowing I lack there the most. I just really hate those things. Swinging from bar to bar really isn't my cup of tea but I go with it. Every gymnast has their least favorite apparatus and most of the time…it's bars.

Got to love Alaric though he doesn't take my panting or groaning for anything and continues to push me to perfect it but man are my arms about to fall off.

"Okay we will take a break from bars. Beam, go!" He gestures to the balance beam and I feel a slight smile cover my face.

Beam isn't my favorite but it is definitely further up than bars. I have quite a few skills on beam that scare the hell out of me and that really no one else attempts because…well they don't want to break their neck but somehow Alaric managed to train me to do them and somehow I picked it up pretty quickly.

I grunt doing a front tuck, feeling the ache in my feet with each landing. "Good Elena!" Alaric cheers next to me. "Keep it going!"

I take a deep breath before throwing in my side aerial that last year I could hardly do but it is pretty good now. I walk to the edge of the beam about to do my favorite skill of my routine but also one of the scariest. Three tumbles on the beam except on the last one I won't use my hands which is really freaking hard because it takes more energy and muscle that sometimes I don't have.

"You got it Elena!" Alaric keeps cheering.

I smile, feeling a wave of confidence sweep through me before quickly flipping back and doing them all the way down the beam until I feel my heels meet the edge. I smile knowing it executed it and continue the rest of my routine.

Once I land my dismount I am nearly out of breath but neither me nor Alaric seem to care cause we are too busy high fiving each other at the perfect routine I just did. "Nice one!" Alaric laughs.

"Wow." I say a little breathless. "Now I just need to do that every time."

"Yeah that would be nice." He laughs. "Sadly we aren't robots we are humans."

I smile knowing he is subtly telling me that I always can't be perfect and sometimes I will fall and to not punish myself for it which I am known to do. He is always telling me this, that I am not a robot and that I will have bad days, it will happen. He hopes they aren't at competitions but he knows they exist and he wants me to know that too.

He claps his hands together. "Okay, again!"

I roll my eyes but climb onto the beam to do it all over and over and over again. Finally we move onto my favorite event that even on my bad days it seems to cheer me.

Floor.

I love tumbling with a passion and it is what got me into gymnastics and why I still have so much passion. I love how beautiful human bodies look flipping through the air and hitting weird skills and maneuvers that most people call insane and inhuman but I get adrenaline from. I guess you could call me an adrenaline junkie. This is good because I am not scared by much or affected by that much. I know the risks; they just don't pop in my mind too often. More than not I am just worried about disappointing myself that snapping my neck on the beam.

The reason I even got recognized by the national coaches several years ago was my floor routine. Nowadays I am pretty good on all events but at the time I was this tiny thirteen year old girl doing flips that some older girls can't do. Today I have what my national coach calls 'one of the hardest floor routines being done in the world'. When she told me that all I could do was smile. I didn't feel any pressure in fact I felt encouraged to go and perfect it and even add more in.

I just landed my double twisting double layout ̶ which let me tell you is the only thing I do that does scare me ̶ when someone calls my name.

"Elena, someone is here for you." Katherine a fellow gymnast calls to me.

I look around disoriented but finally find her. I shrug my shoulders still lost what she is talking about but she sighs pointing over to a figure leaning against the far wall. I squint my eyes and my heart drops.

Damon.

He is casually leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and the biggest smirk on his face, that I am sure pretty anyone would want to wipe right off. I know I do.

Alaric is giving me a not so subtle grin but turns the other way as I march over to him. What is he doing here?

No wait.

How did he find me?

I really have been trying to not think about his stupid beautiful face but what does he do? Show up in my gym which I am sure I did not tell him. Not to mention all I told him about me was my name and that I was a gymnast so the fact he tracked me down is kind of creepy.

"What are you doing here?" I widen my eyes once I reach him.

"I came to see you...You know since you gave me the wrong phone number." He cocks his head knowingly at me.

For some reason I really fight the urge to smile because I find that part amusing. But I can feel the eyes of my fellow gymnasts on my back so I groan grabbing his leather jacket with my hand and dragging him out the door.

Once we are alone outside I turn to him with a frown. "How did you even find me?"

"Trust me it wasn't easy…" He trails off. "But there are three gyms in this town and this was actually my last stop. Third times the charm I guess." He grins.

"And….I don't get it?" I shrug. "We hardly know each other so why stalk me?" I raise my eyebrow and cross my arms.

He scoffs. "I didn't _stalk _you I just…used information to find you." He clarifies.

"Well….whatever." I shake my head and decide to try a different approach since I feel like we are talking in circles. "So why come here? We are two strangers." I try and point out.

"Yes…for now." He smirks.

I look up to the sky to try and reign in my annoyance and give me strength before sighing and looking intensely into his crystal clear orbs. "So…what exactly do _you _want Damon?" I challenge him.

He pauses for a second, his mouth agape before quickly gathering himself. "I want to get to know you." He says as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?" I question. "You don't even know me."

"That's the point. Let me get to know you."

I groan rubbing my hands over my face, very confused. "I just don't understand any of this."

"You don't need to." He says passionately.

"I just…" I look back to the gym. "I really need to get back. Fine…I guess you can come watch me train?" I propose to him, hoping I made it sound boring but he instantly perks up.

"Sure! Yeah…" He nods quickly.

I do my own little smirk to him before he follows me back into the gym. I say a quick apology to Alaric for taking an unneeded break before going back to where I was on floor. I kind of forget Damon is there and watching me as I do different leaps and skills until I do my ring leap and land my eyes catch him talking to Alaric before he winks at me before continuing his conversation. I see them both nod enthusiastically and smile; I growl not liking where this is going. I am not supposed to get attached to Damon much less have Alaric and Damon get along. The last thing I need to see is Damon hanging around.

I decide to try and ignore them as much as possible as I practice a few more skills. I am running to do my double double and already know I am going to fall before I even land and what do you know, I hear my fall echo the room, luckily us gymnasts are trained to fall and fall safely so I quickly roll out of it. It still hurt my butt though and as I stand up I wince a little knowing there will be a bruise there tomorrow.

"You okay?" Alaric assures and I nod rubbing the back of my neck. Damon is beside Alaric with wide eyes almost like he is surprised I am even walking after that fall. It is so funny seeing people who don't know what we go through every day and seeing it for the first time. The look on their faces is priceless.

"I twisted too early." I sigh and rub a little of chalk over my hands to get ready and try it again.

"You tend to do that a lot." Alaric shakes his head before turning back to Damon. "So yeah buddy that would be amazing if you could do some work around here."

I turn to them with a confused look. "What?!"

Damon slowly turns to face me with the most cocky expression I have ever seen. "Oh…" He widens his eyes sarcastically and touches his pointer finger to his lips. "I didn't tell you I was also a repairman?" I stand there with the most blank and annoyed face ever as we both just stare at each other. "Yeah I guess your gym needs some improvements and repairs so I thought…why don't I just do it!" He grins.

I bite my lip to hold back my yelling at not just Damon but Alaric for agreeing to it. Because I know the look on Alaric's face that he knows I am uncomfortable around Damon but for some reason…he feels the need to push me? Oh I am so going to make Jenna kick his ass.

"Great." I say, my voice laced with sarcasm.

"And he is doing it for a ton cheaper than any normal contractor would. Isn't that great?" Alaric turns to me and grins and I am really about to lose it.

"Oh and Elena…found your phone lying over there on the bench…" Damon points to one of the many benches surrounding the gym. "Took the liberty of putting my phone number in since you know…." He smirks and hands it to me.

I grab it from his hands and glare at him. "How nice of you."

"I know I am just bursting with kindness!"

"Well…" Alaric laughs, sensing the tension. "Elena we still have some work to do so Damon you can make yourself comfortable." Alaric gestures to the bleachers and chairs.

Damon smiles. "Don't mind if I do."

I sigh and try to not be affected by him. Instead I am trying to go with the 'ignore and annoy' method but I just hope to god it works. It has to. I am trying to save both of us. Doesn't he see that?! I am trying to stay clear of him but he is so damn persistent. It is making it really hard to not show how affected I am by him.

As Alaric and I are walking to the other end of the floor boards I turn and glare at him. "What are you doing?!" I hiss.

He chuckles and turns his head to me. "You need some fun Elena. Stop pushing people away." He says gently.

I work a little bit more on my floor and tumbles before I need to condition some more. I don't know why Damon hasn't left yet all I am doing are some pulls up and running on the treadmill but his eyes are glued on me. Occasionally I will see Alaric and him talk, hopefully about business plans and not me otherwise I will smack both of them.

Damon leaves his conversation with Alaric and makes his way over to me. I raise my eyebrow not really wanting to be too close to him or deal with whatever is going on.

"So…" He leans against the treadmill. "I guess you will be seeing a lot of me."

I roll my eyes. "If that is what makes you happy Damon…"

"I hope it will."

I decide to look towards him but I instantly regret it. Our eyes meet, dancing with each other and gazing. I don't think I have ever seen more beautiful eyes. They are their own color and the intensity… I hate the electricity feeling that's running between us. Suddenly I am cursing as I fall on the treadmill before it slides me down and into the wall.

"Ow…" I rub my head and hear Damon's echoing laughs. "Shut up…" I whine.

In all my years of training and gymnastics I have never fallen on the treadmill. Pretty hard to do and within just an hour of Damon being here he has made a liar out of me.

He holds out his hand but keeps laughing. "That was classic."

I take his hand and once I am standing up I push him away from me, rubbing my head. That really did hurt, another bruise I can add to my collection.

"You're mean." I pout.

"Come here, let me see it." He gestures me to come closer but I just stare at him like he is nuts so he sighs and takes a few steps over to me before very gently resting his cold hands on the back of my head and I close my eyes and lean into his touch. His hands are pretty large and cover a wide portion of my head. I think his hands are magic because my head is already feeling better.

I suddenly realize I am basically goo in his fingertips and cough, subtly pushing his hand away. "Thanks…." I look the other way.

"So what time do you get off?" He casually asks.

"You don't give up do you?" I feel a smile breaking across my face.

He squints as if thinking about it before quickly answering. "No."

I sigh. "Okay…" I bite my lip nervously. "I get off around four today. A little bit earlier than usual….I guess we can grab something to eat?" I suggest mainly because I am usually starving after practice.

"Sounds great…_Elena._" My name rolls of his tongue perfectly again.

I scoff and shake my head before walking away from him and towards the vaulting table. I am pretty nervous because for some reason even though I tried to avoid it at all costs, Damon does have an effect on me whether I like it or not. But I have to keep telling myself that no matter how much I like him or he likes me it just won't work. Also tonight sure does feel like a date and I have never been on one…How do I act? Or does he even think it is a date at all? Am I reading too much into it?

Most guys give up when I push them away or when they hear about my insane schedule. I don't know why Damon is so different and what makes him want to work for it but he found where I work out at every day I might as well give in before he finds out where I live.

I don't hate Damon I just think we clash more than other people. We definitely push each other's buttons and I have only met him twice. I really can't imagine being with him every day. I am sure he will back out of whatever this once he realizes how much we irritate each other. But if he doesn't I will 100% give Damon the 'it's not you it's me' speech and tell him how it is. Because as much as he can irritate me, I don't want to hurt him and I just want this to end before he gets too attached to me or vice versa. I want to lay down the cold hard facts. I can already see if we got serious, him telling me, that I always choose gymnastics over him which will always be the case, because I choose gymnastics over anyone. This again is why I am not a good relationship candidate.

However I know many gymnasts in this gym that have boyfriends and are madly in love but I also see how off-focus they can be and how late and tired they are. I don't want to be that person doing too much and making it worse on herself. I have one goal and one goal only and everything else is beneath that.

Before I know it Alaric points to the clock signaling to me it is time to pack up. I hop off the beam where I was working on my standing Arabian before getting everything together in my locker. As I shut the locker door my phone rings and I nearly jump not expecting it.

I look down at the caller ID and feel smoke coming out my nose.

'_Damon the sexgod ;)' _Is calling flashes over my phone.

I take a deep breath to calm myself down before answering. "Really Damon?"

He chuckles. "_I am guessing you saw the caller ID_."

"You…I just…" I trail off and groan before I gather myself. "Anyway…Where do you want to meet?"

"…_.Riazzos?_" Damon hedges.

"What?!" I gasp. "I am not paying for that."

Of course he would pick the most expensive and lush restaurant in this town that I only go to when I am celebrating something and not when I am just trying to repay him for fixing my damn tire. How did a flat tire come with all of this?

"_Well good thing I am paying._" He explains as if it is obvious.

"That really defeats the purpose of _me _paying _you _back."

"You are paying me back with your presence not with dinner. See you soon." He says and I can practically see the smirk on his face before he hangs up.

I scoff glaring at my phone before throwing it into my bag and leaving the gym. I debate in my car for a good 10 minutes if I should bail on this 'date' all together. But firstly, I know Damon would just track me down again. Secondly I do owe him; he stopped out of his way and fixed my tire with no pay or anything. I know Alaric is right a little bit with how I need to open up more and let people in but this is more than letting someone in….This is asking for me to let something that has always been in my life and my number one to be shared with something else ̶ someone else. I don't know if I can do that. Actually I know I can't do that.

All in all I decide to meet up with Damon because I do owe him and if this is what he wants and what will make him happy, I will give it to him, this once. And after this we are equal, I owe him nothing.

I arrive to the restaurant about twenty minutes after I left the gym and curse in the mirror. Here I am straight after gym practice and I am covered in chalk and sweat. Not to mention I am wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts over my leotard. Screw it; I guess I will just embrace this. I take my tight bun out and let my hair ring loose over my back and shoulders. I run my fingers through my hair quickly to get rid of some of the waves before getting out and heading in.

This place is so fancy…I usually come here after big competitions I do well at or when I learn a new skill. Instead I am looking for Damon who probably looks hot as hell while I am just…gross. I finally spot him and weave through a few waitresses who give me weird looks before putting on the best smile I have.

"Hey…" I pause at the booth nervously.

"What are you waiting for?" He gestures to the booth.

I bite my lip and look down at my attire. "I look gross." I let out a chuckle before finally sliding into the very nice and comfy booth.

"You look amazing." He says sincerely.

I scoff and turn my head away from his intense stare. "Yeah, I am sure you say that to all the girls." I turn to look at him pointedly.

"Nah." He shakes his head calmly and stares off into the distance. "Haven't had a girlfriend of any type in about four years." He shrugs and takes a drink of his water.

"Better than me." I mutter and look down at my menu.

"You never had a boyfriend have you?" He raises his eyebrow knowingly as he sits back confidently in the booth.

I put my menu down and cross my arms defensively. "Don't have time." I shrug nonchalantly. "Still don't."

"You never know what life throws you." He shrugs back staring me down.

"I guess but I try to plan everything out the best I can." I return to looking at the menu.

"You can't plan life…." He declares sadly. "That is probably the biggest thing to learn. That no matter how much you don't want something to happen…If it is meant to be it will."

Before I can reply to him the waitress comes by with a big smile on her face, more so to Damon. "Are you guys ready?"

"Oh yeah." Damon challenges staring at me and I gulp. I have a feeling he isn't talking about dinner.

We both order our entrees, I couldn't even pronounce some of the things on that list but Damon promised me the fetti pasta was 'to die for' so why not? Damon takes the liberty to ask me questions about myself like he is dying to know. Really basic things like my favorite color, if I am right or left handed and what made me join gymnastics.

At his latest question I take a sip of water before shrugging. "I don't remember because I was so young but I did mommy and me classes at that very gym with other moms and daughters. My mom said it was one of the few things that made me smile and laugh like that so she signed me up a few months later….It has just always been my life." I answer not really knowing how to answer something so big.

"You never thought to take a break?" Damon asks curiously and I realize he is one of the few people who seem genuinely interested in me and so far…has no ulterior motive.

"Oh yeah…plenty times. I think it is natural when you do something for so long to think about taking a break or to stop…But I never went through with it. I think the longest I went without it was when I injured my back in 5th grade, but I went nuts." I laugh and he joins in, never taking his eyes off me

I feel weird he is asking me all the questions and I suddenly have a soft spot for him, dragging me out here and not giving up. Not to mention he is sitting here listening to me talk about my boring life. So I decide to get to know this mysterious stranger. "What about you, Damon?" I challenge. "What made you decide to do what you do for a living?"

He freezes for a second, surprised at my sudden interest but quickly masks it. "I worked on cars with my dad as a kid." He gulps like the topic is hard for him and I instantly regret asking. "I was pretty close to him and would help him whenever I wasn't in school…." He takes a shaky breath and I don't know what to do because this is the first time I have ever seen Damon so vulnerable and not smirking.

"Damon if you don't want-"

He waves me off. "No I talk about it a lot…It just doesn't get any easier." He smiles comfortingly but it doesn't make me feel any better. "Anyways I lost him when I was twelve to cancer of the throat. He complained for months about pain but never went to the doctor until my mom finally forced him to go but sadly it was too late, doctor said it was too rapid and that he had about 3 months to live."

"Damon I am so…."

"It's fine." He cuts me off and I instantly know he doesn't want my pity and I totally understand. More than he knows. "But I realized that is what I wanted to do. I wanted to make him proud and do something with my life that made me happy. And it really does." He smiles genuinely.

"That is good." I nod and I don't know what takes over me but I reach across the table and squeeze his hand. "I am happy you found something like that in your life. I am sure he would be proud." He seems almost stunned, what I just did and frankly so am I.

I smile before removing my hand afraid I overstepped my boundaries. I just really got touched by his story and wanted to help him but crap now I don't know if that sent the wrong signals or if that was the wrong move….God I am so not good around boys. What am I doing? He is way beyond my league.

The waitress brings our food and I probably look like a caveman but I scarf down the food like it is my job. Working out does this, whenever I get off and go home my mom usually has food waiting for me. I have a strict diet and this will definitely throw it off but really the only bad thing is the cheese…And noodles. Crap I so have to burn this off later.

While we eat we stay to ourselves just enjoying the silence and me getting occasionally creeped out by Damon staring at me. I just don't get his…infatuation with me or whatever it is. I am really not that interesting, at least I don't think so.

When the waitress comes by again to collect the bill I really feel bad that he helped me out with my tire and I was rude to him earlier and now he is paying for this hundred dollar meal. I try to quickly grab the check book but Damon's slick hands grab it from me before he smirks. He knew I would do that.

As we are walking outside to our cars I notice I really didn't regret this like I thought I would. I still think I should stay far and I mean far away from him but he is a nice guy and I am sure there is a girl out there who would be the luckiest in the world. I just don't think I am that girl.

"Thank you Damon for dinner and…fixing my tire that night. You didn't have to but you did so, thank you." I lean against my car and smile.

He scrunches up his nose adorably. "It was nothing…" He kicks some loose rocks on the ground.

"Well I guess it was nice meeting you…and again thank you." I smile before turning away to get in my car.

"See you tomorrow." He grins before walking away as well.

I quickly turn around. "What?!"

He innocently shrugs. "Remember? I am doing repairs on your gym? I guess we will be seeing a lot of each other." He smiles before walking to his car.

I have one question and one question only…how am I supposed to ignore and not be affected by Damon, when I will be seeing him every day?

I have a feeling I am royally screwed.

* * *

I felt this need to post this because of the amazing reviews and support for the first chapter. Obviously I need to write fast and more haha. Never thought it would get that response because it is so different but thank you! Putting my heart and soul into this. And I will try with all my being to update as much as I can.

**Review?** Let me know what you think. :)

Thanks to Anna for Beta'ing, I love ya. And thanks for the reviews which strongly inspire me. Love you all. Xo.


	3. Chapter 3

I angrily tie my hair into a bun while glaring at Damon across the gym talking to Alaric as they walk around, pointing out things that need to be done. I think there was a small part of me hoping it was a joke and Damon wouldn't show up this morning. But it wasn't a joke and it was all real.

Damon keeps flashing smirks and glances my way but I try to quickly turn my head the other direction whenever it happens. How dare he come into the one place in the world I feel the safest and try to tear my whole world down with his stupid gorgeous blue eyes? I hate him and his beautiful face. I grunt angrily wiping chalk onto my grips for bars, avoiding his line of sight at all costs.

Alaric comes over after finishing his conversation with Damon and helps me with the uneven bars. Nationals are coming up in a few months where the best gymnasts of USA compete and I really need to work harder on this event. It is really all about hitting the handstands and releases. I am on my 4th try of my routine, in all of my previous attempts I have fallen but Alaric makes me keep going until I hit my routine. My body is about to give beneath me but I push through it to the end of my routine. I am doing a few turns before I twist into my double twisting dismount and…Land perfectly.

"Finally!" I breathe heavily and bend over with my hands on my knees to breathe easier.

"See, I knew you would get there!" Alaric cheers. "Take a quick break and then you can do some conditioning." Alaric nods before making his way back over to one of the other gymnasts.

I have blisters and sores all over my hands, even with using the grips. I am pretty sure some of them will be permanent scars; they can join the other ones I have gotten over the years. I let out a tired breath before getting up to refill my water bottle across the gym.

"How is it going?"

I jump and water spills out of my bottle before I turn my head, noticing Damon leaning against the wall beside me. I compose myself quickly. "Good." I clench my teeth and continue filling the bottle up.

"Did you have a good time last night?" He smirks.

"I guess…" I shrug, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

"Stubborn!" Damon laughs then pauses. "…Like it."

I cough breaking our somehow always intense trance and tighten the lid to my water bottle. "Well I have to get back…" I throw him a quick smile before leaving.

I know that threw him off and that he wants to spend time with me and deep down I feel bad. I am hoping he has some weird phase he is going through and he will move onto one of the other girls here. Lord knows there are a lot of desperate ones around me.

I grab out my iPod from my bag and put the earbuds in my ears before starting on the treadmill. I am usually on it for a while to work the muscles in my legs. I don't think people realize it takes so much muscle, strength and endurance do to even a quarter of the moves we do in routines but to put them **all **into a routine for each event? It takes a lot out of you and to successfully attempt to do them leaves all of us to basically live here at the gym. Some people think we are missing out on life and shouldn't spend our time doing this but it is what we love. This is our passion and we really do get enjoyment out of it. Yeah it takes a lot more work than other hobbies, but so what? I think that as long as gymnastics makes me happy, I will keep doing it.

I run along to one of my many workout playlists and try to act oblivious to the frequent stares Damon keeps sending my way. I am trying to not let him get to me. I really am. But if he keeps it up I will have to confront him on it so I can actually focus on my workouts.

I am so completely in my own zone before I jump, Alaric pulling an earbud out of one of my ears. "Break then floor routine." He says pointedly before leaving me running on the treadmill. I sigh, powering it down and rolling up my headphones and putting them away in my locker.

Thankfully I don't see Damon around as I make my way to the floor. Alaric has me stretch before I move to the big stuff. I really have to get ready because nationals camp is at the end of every month where the best gymnasts go to a ranch and have the national coaches that decide who gets to compete when and where. They basically say jump and you ask how high?

After what seems like a long and never ending day, Alaric gives me the nod of approval to pack up and head home. Damon must have been working somewhere in the back because during the second part of the day because I didn't see him. I say bye to the girls as we head out of the gym, a lot of them I have known my whole life.

One is Caroline, she is complete opposite of me and I really didn't like her when we first met at three years old but she grew on me. She is very outgoing and never has a bad day…Ever. I think the only time I've seen her sad was when her first boyfriend cheated on her in 8th grade but she got over it two days later. We don't get to hang out, outside the gym as much as we would like to but in the gym we usually try to train together. She has Alaric as her coach as well, he only trains the best. She isn't quite there yet but she is getting there and Alaric believes in her.

The other is Rebekah. She is amazing. She helped me through a really hard time when I was younger and instead of saying it will get better and I can be strong like Caroline did she just sat me down, looked me in the eyes and said 'that sucks', which I really needed. She does gymnastics more for fun and a hobby. She tries to stay away from out of state competitions because she doesn't want the pressure to ruin something she considers fun. She thinks Caroline and I are crazy for working out and traveling for the sport so much.

"Want to come to my place?" I offer to the girls.

They look shocked because usually I am too tired after my workouts to do any kind of hangout but I don't know…I have been feeling pretty good today.

"Yeah!" The both say in unison before I can change my mind.

I shake my head and laugh. "Meet you there?"

They both nod before we all get into our separate cars. I really can't explain how much easier it is since we all got our licenses and cars and I am sure our parents are feeling the same way. Basically the majority of our life we had to rely on our parents to drive us everywhere and sometimes they really didn't want to get up at 7am for training or they would be late. Since we turned sixteen I am pretty sure everyone is a lot happier.

As I am opening my car door a hand stops me, pushing on the window. I frown turning around before sighing. I should have known.

"You have been avoiding me." He points out.

"Really? I had no idea." I add sarcastically.

He looks up into the sky laughing to himself and for a second I think he is crazy before he looks straight at me. "You are making it hard you know."

"What? Stalking me?"

"No, getting to know you."

I feel a stab of guilt in my gut and swallow, looking down. He really is not making this easy and I feel so bad at times but I know deep down that it's for the best and in some weird way he will thank me someday.

"I got to go." I choke out and try to open my car door again but he doesn't let me.

"Just let me in Elena….Open up." He pleads.

"Why do you care?" I say back a little more harshly than I intended but I am about to break right now and I can't have that.

His hand slides the window and I hear him sigh behind me. "Honestly I don't know. It would be easier if I didn't."

His words are too much to me and I quickly open my car door before he can stop me again. I look down while I put the keys in the ignition, not wanting to see the pain on his face before backing up and leaving his still body where I left him.

* * *

"What took so long?!" Caroline complains as I shut my car door and lock it. "We all left the same time?"

"Oh…I guess I hit all the lights…" I sputter as they follow me and we head inside my house, I already smell the dinner either done or in the process. My mom and dad are pretty good about having food ready when I come home, knowing I will inhale everything.

"Hey mom." I give her a hug before digging into some fruit she has out then my dad comes from the living room giving me a kiss on my cheek. "How was practice?"

"Good." I tell him nonchalantly.

"How are you girls doing?" My mom asks while chopping up more fruit for us. "I haven't seen you in a while."

Caroline nods quickly. "Alaric has been drilling us for this season coming up; Elena and I are practically dying daily." Caroline sighs before plopping a pineapple chunk into her mouth.

"You girls always surprise me with how strong and durable you are." My dad laughs. "I get tired after a long day at work."

My mom and dad are really my best friends. My dad is a cardiologist while my mom used to be a nurse, hence how they met. But after she married my dad she quit her job to devote her time to being a stay at home wife and soon to be mom. I always pushed her to get back out in the medical field but she shakes her head and insists she is happy.

They are the nicest human beings ever or maybe I am just a well behaved child. We always get along and have that cliché relationship. I have never really had a falling out with them; they are too supportive and understanding.

"I have dinner cooking, should be done within 20 minutes. I bet you girls are starving." We all widen our eyes in reply and she just laughs.

Finally once dinner is finished cooking we all sit around at the table and dig in. I forget how much I loved hanging out with Rebekah and Caroline, I guess sometimes I get so swept up in my career I miss opportunities that pass me sometimes. I need to try and hang out with them more.

"Elena, Tanya called earlier today to set up a meeting sometime next weekend." My mom smiles while eating her casserole.

Tanya.

She is my sports agent, she helps me get sponsors and my name out there in the gymnastics community. I have known her since I was ten but she can be a handful sometimes because she pushes me so hard and thinks so much about my career and doesn't stop to ask what I want. She isn't the type we would invite to our monthly BBQ's for sure but she is the best at her job and really has helped me with my career.

I sigh. "Okay…"

After dinner Caroline, Rebekah and I head outside to my porch to decide what we want to do tonight. We all have late practice tomorrow which is rare so we might as well make the most out of it.

"We should go to Kol's party!" Rebekah nods.

Rebekah comes from a ….large family and Kol is just one of the many brothers she has. The most outgoing and popular one probably, he is always hosting parties around Mystic Falls. I am pretty sure he has hit on me a few times but I ignored it and he eventually gave up, if only Damon would do that.

"We should!" Caroline says excitedly before looking to me hopefully, knowing I will be the deal breaker.

Normally I would say no but I am stressed up to the moon about my life right now so why not? "Sure."

They both looked shocked for the second time tonight but decide to go with it. "We have to get ready!" Caroline quickly grabs our hands as we head up to my bedroom.

I feel weird as they put makeup on me. The only time I ever wear it is occasionally at competitions or fancy affairs. It just feels very weird on my face and I am not used to it at all. I scrunch my nose as Rebekah applies eye shadow to my eye lids before doing my lipstick.

"I need a man." Caroline groans as she rifles through my closet.

"Like you have time." I scoff as I apply mascara.

"I will make time as this point."

"Meanwhile Matt and I are going on 6 months." Rebekah smiles as she straightens her hair.

Both Caroline and I steal a subtle glare to Rebekah who seems to have it all. She only has to work in the gym four times a week which is half the hours we put in. Not to mention she has had more boyfriends and hook ups than me and Caroline will probably have in our lifetime. I am still surprised she has settled down with Matt, she has always said no man would tame her so it is interesting to see how their relationship will play out.

"I will definitely wait till after my career." I wipe a glob of mascara out of the way.

"Elena!" Caroline whines and turns around from my closet to face me. "You are the only virgin! You can't be thirty and never kissed a boy!" She exasperates.

I sigh. "That would suck but…It's just not fair to any guy right now-"

"Screw it!" Caroline shrieks. "You don't need a relationship just hook up or something." Caroline waves. "That's what I did."

I try to contain my laugh because really that is exactly what that crazy girl did. She was lonely one day and whining about how she will never kiss or have sex with a boy, so stupidly I said 'then do it', not really thinking she actually would. So she drags me out to the grill, finds a boy for her mission and within 15 minutes he is taking her home. I was worried for her at first, I mean the guy could have been a murderer but she waved me off and winked and at that point…I had to trust her. She was 17 and it wasn't like the guy was 40 or something, he was 17 as well and about an hour later they both come back disheveled and looking pretty happy, never speaking again.

She was pretty pleased with it and didn't regret it, which is so very Caroline of her. I have respect for her because I would regret it a lot and hate myself for it; I guess I want something more. Maybe I believe in love too much and want it like the movies, where you fall in love and stay together forever and you are each other's firsts. I guess in this day and age that isn't as easy but when I end my career that is what I want, as cheesy as that sounds.

"That was pretty insane Care." Rebekah laughs. "Even you have to admit."

Caroline shrugs stubbornly and Rebekah and I laugh, "Yeah that's just not me, when I get a guy I want to devote all my time to him and right now I devote all my time to gymnastics…It's just not fair." I shrug and smack more lipstick on my plump lips.

"Please Elena; even you know you will be doing gymnastics your whole life." Rebekah scoffs.

"No one can do gymnastics forever." I sigh, because sadly it is true. After a while your body ages and grows up and isn't able to hold and do the stunts it was once able to do. There are a lot of gymnasts that get injured, trying to push their body past their age and I will most likely be one of them, because if it was my choice I would want to do it forever. But there is only a short period a gymnast can really compete, we are in the prime spot right now and I am definitely not missing out on my prime period because of some boy.

"But Elena!" Caroline whines as she starts curling her hair "That's not the point. The _point _is you can't wait forever for a guy to magically come along. What if he is out there right now waiting for you but you are too invested in gym to see?!" She exclaims.

I shrug. "Then it's not meant to be."

"Caroline." Rebekah stops her before she can say anything else.

Caroline holds up her hands in mock surrender "Fine."

We all finally finish getting dressed and putting our makeup on. I've got to admit, I feel pretty good in this lace tight red dress with ankle heels on. Not to mention Caroline chose bright neon red lipstick for me to match my dress, at first I was a little hesitant because it is so bold but I have to admit, I look pretty amazing. Caroline knows what she is doing….most of the time.

My mom doesn't even care where we are going, she is just happy that I am having fun and getting out of the house. I give both my mom and dad a kiss on the cheek before we all leave for the night.

Once we arrive we all slowly get out and open our mouths in shock at how many people are here and how loud it is. Thank god Rebekah lives on a few acres without other people around or there would definitely be police here. I'd bet my life on that.

"My parents are going to kill him" Rebekah shakes her head but she is smiling. "But not me" She winks at us before we all make our way into the party.

I notice people from our school here and people that have long since graduated our high school. Like me. It is good to see people I once saw in the halls every day. I definitely don't want to get drunk because I have gym tomorrow like always, but what the hell? I can have at least one or two drinks. I am really trying to be a little bit less controlling about things, so this is a start.

I wonder the party a little unsure of what to do with myself at first because the last time I have been to a party was probably five years ago.

I am walking into the lounge room in Rebekah's house when my heart falls out of my chest and I nearly drop my drink. Why is he here?! I inwardly curse and quickly try to maneuver through people before he sees me but I am too late.

"Elena!" Damon calls through the group of people between us and I try to at least get back to the kitchen but somehow he is faster and is already by my side. "Where do you think you are running off too?" He smirks but I don't answer so he just smiles. "What are you doing here? This isn't really your scene?"

I give up and face him with a poor smile. "You know….having fun?"

He gives me a look from head to toe and bites his lip as he is looking at my very tight and red dress. I can tell he likes it, which makes my cheeks go red. Finally his eyes meet mine again and his head tilts a little at me. "Really?" He clarifies "You don't look like you are having fun."

I feel a little defensive at those words because I thought I was putting on a good face, showing that I'm having the time of my life but I have a feeling he sees right through that. "Well I am." I raise my chin up, challenging him.

He flashes a few more looks at me before shaking his head and looking to the side, "Keep telling yourself that" He says lightly, staring deep into my eyes.

In that moment I realize he knows me better than I thought he did. I don't know how or even why but instead I just smile. I give him a hard time… but we haven't known each other for long and somehow…I feel like he knows me better than anyone. Its scares me yet, excites me.

I have had a very hard working and different life to a lot of people my age and I have learned to keep things bottled up so I don't have to burden others but ever since I met Damon it is like all of that is visible to him.

I cough and break the silence "So what are you doing here at Kol's party?" I question him.

He shrugs. "My buddy Enzo is a friend of his and invited me."

I bite my lip, shaking my head and looking away. How I keep running into this guy is beyond me. It's like the gods above keep shoving each of us together, places I don't even usually go to. I mean, the one time I go to a party, Damon happens to be here? Mystic Falls isn't that small.

"I don't usually…." I try to get out. "Come to places and events like this…." I gesture to the room.

He crinkles his nose in a way I find adorable before nodding. "Me either." He smiles genuinely before taking a swig of his beer.

I don't know what to say next, I can't even hear myself think because it's so loud in here and I can feel myself getting repeatedly shoved by different people trying to get passed me. Damon smirks and clasps my hand in his as he weaves me out of the wave of people and hopefully outside. I can't help but feel the big and warm clasp his hands have on my small and cold ones. But somehow they fit together perfectly, his are not too big for my small hands and they are the perfect temperature together.

Finally I feel my face hit the fresh air and I sigh in relief. There were people smoking in there so the rooms were filled with smoke, not to mention all the body sweat flowing around. I feel so much better outside.

I let out another breath before sitting myself on the front lawn not caring if it's wet or stains my dress. I never really care about those types of things. Damon seems to be on the same page and lays down beside me as we look up into the sky. We don't say anything for a while but it's not uncomfortable. I like how we can just lay here without saying a thing. Or maybe it is just because Damon isn't badgering questions out of me like he does at the gym.

"So what made _you _come to the party?" Damon breaks the silence.

I sigh. "I guess it has been awhile and I thought I would try it out again." I shrug thinking about why I made that decision, "I thought maybe I would enjoy it now but…. I still don't think it's my thing."

"It's not mine either." He turns his head and looks deep into my eyes. After a few seconds a small smile breaks across his face, "Want a ride home?"

I bite my lip and look up at the sky, probably overthinking this tiny decision to let him take me home. I think about Caroline and Rebekah, who are most likely already drunk and wonder if they need me, then again this is Rebekah's house and they will probably stay the night. Then I think about being here all night and how uncomfortable that sounds when I would rather be sleeping which I hardly get to do anyway.

"Yes please." I laugh, standing up and wiping the grass off me.

"Well that is a surprise" Damon widens his eyes.

I shrug like it is not big deal, "I need a ride home, and you offered, so what?"

He chuckles, shaking his head and looks as if he is about to say something before he stops himself and we make our way to his very antique looking car. He gets there before I do and before I can even protest he is opening the passenger door for me and smirking "There you go."

I roll my eyes but feel awkward. I am not experienced around guys and when they do things I thought only happened in the movies, I don't know how to react. I feel lost, like I am in uncharted territory and can't navigate through my feelings.

I clear my throat and try to calm myself down as he makes his way around to the other side of the car. This is just a ride home Elena, calm down. I take a deep breath as he makes his way into the driving seat, filling it with his intoxicating scent. I look out the window nervously because I am wondering if going home and sleeping a few more hours than I would if I stayed here is worth this.

I have to force myself to create distance between us and to make sure not to be swept away by the feelings he is making me feel. Of course every girl deep down wants that romance that we see in movies but here is the thing, my 'soulmate' or whatever romantics call it, needs to wait because I have goals and things to do before I'm even remotely ready for a relationship. I have my life planned out and if that plan crumbles, I will crumble.

"So that was fun" Damon tries to joke as we pull away from the party.

I chuckle nervously, "Yeah, I was hoping I could _let go _and be a teenager but…" I sigh deeply. "It's just not for me. I was hoping that I would be able to have one night away from my usual life… but I guess not" I rest my head against the headrest in defeat.

I feel like I failed myself. Why can't I let go and have fun? Why can't I just have at least one day a week where I let go of everything else and act my age?

"Don't feel bad if it isn't your thing because if you really think about it…What is the point of it? You don't know half those people. Drinking is fun every now and then but hangovers suck so you're not missing much there. Not to mention the sweat and smoke dripping out every pore around you, you can't even have a decent conversation with anyone because the music is so loud." Damon shrugs "It has never really been my thing either. My friends and my brother were into it and dragged me along, but in the end, it's all just exhausting" Damon sighs.

I take a moment to really look at Damon. I did not expect him to say that and in a weird way he is comforting me and it feels nice. I have always felt like some alien or something my entire life, not wanting the same things people around me want, but in this moment he is making me feel normal and good about myself.

I let a smile cross my face before turning ahead, "Well I guess we have something in common."

Damon's head snaps to mine in an instant, after a few moments he lets a nice, warm and genuine smile grace his face, much like mine a few seconds earlier "Yeah, I guess we do."

The silence becomes a little uncomfortable and I start to nervously fidget and dart my eyes around, hoping my house is coming up. The more time I spend with Damon, the more it scares me because it feels too intense and serious and I don't know how to feel about that.

I am not an interesting person. I wake up, eat, go to the gym, train, go home, eat some more and then sleep. That is on repeat nearly every day so I really don't see why anyone would want to be a part of that. It sucks because Damon is a nice guy, he is great and _extremely _good looking but it just isn't fair to him. Why does he have to make this so hard?

How am I going to get out of this?

* * *

**Review? xo**

Okay so my fanfic profile has been DEAD and I admit that. I went through a anti fic phase where i couldn't read or write fics, it was horrible. Then I had a major hip surgery with complications in June and that was hell, but I am finally hardcore into reading and writing again and have a ton of muse.

But for that past month I have been writing (and reading) like CRAZY, I wrote a lot for UU sequal if anyone reads that but I also have worked a bit on this beauty WHICH I have big plans for.

**I am a huge gymnastics fan,** have been since 2012 and even have a gym tumblr (laurenshernandez) so I know A LOT about this sport but also very very very much enjoy it. Not to mention its gymnstics seasons so I am even more into the sport than usual. So I am enjoying writing this. I have a few gymnasts that inspire Elena's gymnastics in this fic that I will get into some time.

But I hope you enjoy and forgive me for the long wait, i hope to get better with that from now on! (hopefully I didn't just jinx myself).

_**Please review and let me know what you think so I can get good feedback and that people actually like it lol. XOXOXO **_

PS: For my personal tumblr and to get ahold of me is (alwaysurvive). AND THANKS TO MY BFF AND BAE Olivia for beta'ing this. She has her own amazing fic 'wondering hearts' on 'damonspain' fanfic profile. Same username for her tumblr as well. Ily.


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